Written by | Ray Cornelius
When audiences go to movie theaters in February to see the Jessie Owens biopic RACE, very few will know that lead actor Stephan James actually trained for the role at Georgia Tech while shooting Ava DuVernay‘s epic drama Selma. They also may not know that James decided to alter his natual hairline to look more like Owens and that he refused to break character even when he wasn’t filming. That and so much more is what the Canadian-born actor revealed to members of the Atlanta press last week when he stopped through for pre-film promotions.
The 22-year-old, who is one of four Toronto International Film Festival Rising Stars, talked candidly about the working with Owens’ daughters to prepare for the role and the numerous times on set that he felt “one” with Jessie’s spirit. He also explained why Owens’ story of triumph is just as relevant to today’s generation as it was in 1936.
“I think it’s always been important but again it’s just another reminder of the struggles that we have faced and what we’ve overcome as a people. I think that times like this, when we’re seeing such outward protests of certain types of things, its important to retell these stories…when people need to see it the most and why we can’t afford to take any steps back.”
Check out James’ full response and the trailer for RACE below:
RACE opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, February 19th
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com
